‘A Capitol Fourth’ DC concert special faces potential cancellation due to heat

Public viewing of the rehearsal of "A Capitol Fourth," the annual holiday concert, in D.C. has been canceled, and officials say Friday’s event could also be affected by the weather.

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Public viewing of the annual holiday concert rehearsal in D.C. has been canceled, and officials say Friday’s event could also be affected by the weather.

Digital Curator

A heat wave sweeping across the eastern United States is threatening holiday celebrations this weekend.

The United States Capitol Police announced Thursday that the public viewing of the rehearsal for “A Capitol Fourth,” the annual holiday concert special produced by PBS, has been canceled because of the weather.

“After a safety consultation with the Office of the Attending Physician – due to the excessive heat – only essential personnel will be permitted to attend tonight’s (July 2) rehearsal for A Capitol Fourth Concert,” the statement read.

They added that the status of the actual event on Friday remains up in the air, and an announcement will be made by 10 a.m. ET.

The National Weather Service has forecast an extreme heat watch for Washington, D.C., this weekend, as temperatures could exceed 100 degrees.

PBS first broadcast “A Capitol Fourth” in 1981. Actor E.G. Marshall hosted and singer Pearl Bailey performed. It has since become the public broadcaster’s top-rated program.

The event is nonpartisan, organizers stress every year, and it is not affiliated with Freedom 250 or America250.

This year’s concert is set to focus on the nation’s 250th anniversary and is titled “A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration.”

Actor Alfonso Ribeiro, best known for playing Carlton Banks on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” is handling hosting duties, while performers include Chicago, Patti LaBelle, Trace Adkins, Kool & The Gang, Carly Pearce, Alana Jackson, Loren Allred, Angel Blue, the National Symphony Orchestra and the Broadway cast of “Just in Time,” as well as actors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna.

Notably, the concert is scheduled for July 3 this year. Most years, it is held on July 4. Also, there will be no fireworks at the Capitol. Instead, the fireworks finale will be livestreamed from Mount Vernon.

Michael Colbert, executive producer of “A Capitol Fourth,” told Billboard that the new date was to get a jump start on a busy weekend of celebrating the country’s independence.

“Not only are there tons of things going on in Washington, there’s tons of things going on all over the country,” Colbert said. “We’ve heard already from so many public television stations how excited they are that we’re kicking off this year a day early. Next year, we’ll go back to the Fourth, as we’ve always been.”

If the weather doesn’t get in the way, the concert will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide. It will also be streamed on YouTube.